Tip off: 10:35 PM EST
Spread: LAL -10.5
Total: 186.5
M/L: LAL -725, CLE +575
The Lakers started out the season 0-2 after losing their only two preseason game, but have come back to win 8 of the next 10 games and they sit at 1st in the Pacific division, as they usually do. Kobe Bryant has shown absolutely no signs of aging at all, and is putting up over 30 a game this season in addition to his typical well rounded stat line, with over 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game. He’s seeing about 37 minutes a night, which along with Pau Gasol leads the team…
Gasol’s role has been a little reduced due to Andrew Bynum’s improvement, but he is actually shooting better from the floor this season at 55.2%. His assists production has fallen off, though, with the change in the Lakers’ offense. The triangle offense was perfectly suited to the 7-foot Spaniard’s skill set, and enabled him to run a lot of high post pick n rolls with Bryant. He also seems to have trouble finding his way to the boards in the new offense and is averaging only 2.7 offensive rebounds per game. While it is difficult to say Gasol’s play has been bad by any means, at all, it still has room for improvement as he gets accustomed to a different offense and a new head coach in Mike Brown.
You’d be hard pressed to find a .500 team any happier than the Cleveland Cavaliers. Owner Dan Gilbert is hoping that his new rookies Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson will stick around in Cleveland so that Cavs fans can plan for something special.
Irving is putting up the second most points on the team with 16.6 per game, in addition to his 5+ assists per game. Thompson has been good in sporadic minutes as well. The 6’9″ Canadian has scored in double figures in 4 of the Cavs’ 10 games and is seeing about 17 minutes a night. He hasn’t seen anymore than roughly half the minutes in a game thus far this season.
Antawn Jamison is doing his thing, too, though he has indicated this may be his last season. Jamison leads the Cavs in scoring and has had a solid NBA career.
Lakers Betting Trends:
The Lakers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games and the total has gone UNDER in 9 of their last 12 games. The total has also gone UNDER in 7 of their last 9 at home, while they are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games at home.
Cavs Betting Trends:
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the Cavs’ last 5 games and it has gone UNDER In 5 of their last 6 on the road. The Cavs are 7-18 SU in their last 25 road games and they are 8-3 SU In their last 11 games against the Lakers.
Key Matchup:
Antawn Jamison / Anderson Varejao vs. Pau Gasol / Andrew Bynum
I don’t really even need to go deep into this one for you to realize this is the main reason the Lakers are double digit favorites. Jamison has had a nice career and Varejao is one of the best role players in the league, but Gasol and Bynum outclass them by leaps and bounds. Bynum and Gasol give most frontlines problems, but Jamison and Varejao in particular will have trouble matching their strength. Fortunately for the Cavs, the Lakers no longer have Lamar Odom to throw in and make things even more difficult. Tristan Thompson will look for an increased role off the bench and will see big minutes if either Jamison or Varejao gets into foul trouble.
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